Gen Z’s Biggest Role Model Says A Lot About The Generation’s Values, Study Finds
PeopleImages | Shutterstock In a poll from Yahoo and YouGov, the biggest role model that Gen Z has actually says quite a lot about not only their online culture but also their aspirations in life.
Social media has completely shaped Gen Zers' lives. All that is to say, social media has fueled trends for the young cohort, and that means it's shaped everything from fashion choices to role models. Most would assume an influencer or celebrity with major clout would have a vibe more suited to being a Gen Z role model, but when it comes right down to it, they are way more pragmatic than that.
Gen Z's biggest role model is a non-famous tech entrepreneur.
When asked which celebrity or public figure they’d want to model their lives after, 36% said they wouldn’t model their lives after any of the listed public figures, which included MrBeast, Greta Thunberg, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Another poll question asked respondents about non-famous role models, and Gen Zers showed a strong interest in less visible paths that were still impressive.
Eighteen percent of respondents said they wanted to be a successful but non-famous tech entrepreneur. After a tech entrepreneur, 17% chose a respected intellectual or professor, and 14% named doctors. Only 5% said they wanted to be digital creators or influencers.
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Despite the idea that Gen Z is often driven by numbers and social media, Rachel Janfaza, founder of the Gen Z research strategy firm The Up and Up, explained that adults under 30 are tired of the pressure to perform for online visibility.
"From day-in-my-life videos to the glamorization of founder culture portrayed online, they're turning away from role models and job paths they feel require always being ‘on,'" she told Yahoo. "Instead, they're leaning into the raw and authentic, often offline — hence the analog revival. This doesn't mean they aren't interested in success. They just don't always want to put that success on display for public consumption."
Gen Zers want a successful career that gives them a private life.
Findings from the study indicated that Gen Z is way more concerned with building their own businesses and isn't interested in the fame aspect of success. That tracks considering a report found that more young people want balance and fulfillment outside of the confines of a 9-to-5, and 50% of Gen Z aspire to become entrepreneurs or start their own businesses.
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A lot of Gen Z adults have seen content creators get praised one day and then immediately canceled the next. For them, it's hard to imagine building a business in the public eye that is subjected to the hot-and-cold attitude of the internet. But at the same time, it's hard to imagine building any kind of career without social media being part of it.
At the end of the day, all Gen Z want is to be successful and do meaningful work without sacrificing their privacy in the process. They want to be able to live a financially independent life and not be bogged down by the cost of living, and so they model their careers after entrepreneurs who meet their dream.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
